Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 3.djvu/30

 NOTES AND QUERIES. C n s. m. JAN. u, mi.

cross erected to the memory of the ill-fated Prince Imperial. On the pedestal are the following inscriptions :

[Front.]

Napoleon Eugene Louis Jean Joseph,

Prince Imperial,

Killed in Zululand,

1st June, 1879.

[JBflw*.]

" I shall die with a sentiment of profound gratitude for Her Majesty the Queen of England where I have received for eight years such cordial hospitality."
 * and all the Royal Family, and for the country

In memory of the Prince Imperial and in sorrow at his death this cross is erected by the residents of Chislehurst, 1880.

The first of the latter inscriptions is an extract from the young Prince's will.

JOHN T. PAGE. Long Itchington, \Yarwickshire.

Nicholas Howe's monument, for which MB. PAGE inquired at 11 S. ii. 243, is situated an the village of Little Barford, Beds, and consists of a four-sided pillar about 3 feet high. The inscription on the sides runs as follows :

(1) The Poet Rowe was born in this house 1673 (2) Author of Jane Shore sevral Tragedies and Translator of Lucan (3 ) Master of Polite Learn- ing and the Classical Authors (4) A secretary of State To Queen Ann, and Poet Laureate to King George.

The above information has been kindly supplied me by Mr. J. H. Alington of Little Barford, whose grandfather erected the memorial. He adds :

" The story is that the mother of the poet was travelling, and that the house (which is now the end one of a row of joined cottages in which labourers live) was a wayside inn, where she lodged at the time of his birth."

W. R. B. PBIDEAUX.

Reform Club.

THE EARLIEST TELEGRAPHY.

ACCORDING to an article by Mr. T. Sturdee "in The Strand Magazine for October last, " it was not until 1795, when Lord George Murray introduced his semaphore system, that anything like an efficient means of telegraphic communication was established." This implies the earlier existence of such communication ; and that idea is borne out in an article in the same magazine for .September by Mr. Bernard Darwin on * Some Curious Wagers.' That tells of a bet by the Duke of Queensberry with a Mr. Edgworth, which could have been won by the

latter if it had not been that, " having in his mind a system of semaphores, he blurted out that he didn't mean to rely upon horses." There is a tantalizing absence of dates from this anecdote, but conjecturally it is of about 1750 ; and I should be interested to know whether there is a contemporary description of any earlier system of telegraphic com- munication than that which I give below.

In The London Chronicle for 3-6 January, 1767, appeared the following :^

CORSICAN GAZETTE. Iftolarossa, August 28.

On the 17th of this month, arrived here from Corte, two English Gentlemen, to embark on their return to Tuscany. They had been in- formed at Corte, of an invention by the Abbes Giulani and Liccia of our province, of a new con- trivance which they call, 11 Corri&re Volante, The Flying Courier ; by means of which, notice may be communicated in a few instants from one place to another, at the distance of many miles. The two young Abb6s were here at the arrival of these Gentlemen, who being desirous to see an experiment made of the new contrivance, it was accordingly made on the terrace of this tower, at the square of Saint Reperata, and the English Gentlemen were highly satisfied and pleased with it. Some months ago, when his Excellency the General was here, a like experiment was made, at the distance of ten miles, which succeeded perfectly well. As these English Gentlemen encouraged the two Abbes to inform the Publick of their invention, the following account of it is given, that the Publick may judge of the ad- vantages to be derived from it.

The FLYING COURIER is a portable machine, which serves for the purpose of communicating at the distance of many miles a notice or advice, as clearly and distinctly, as if a voice was heard, or it was seen written on a leaf.

To perform this operation, three things are necessary. 1. That the place from whence the notice is to be sent, which we shall call A, com- mand a view of the place to which the notice is directed, which we shall call B. 2. That at the place A, there be a machine with a person in- formed of the notice intended to be communicated to the place B. 3. That at the place B, there be another person with a similar machine, in order to return an answer to the place A, as shall be necessary.

This operation is not restricted so as only to communicate intelligence from A to B, but the instant it is received at B, it may be conveyed to C, and from C may be conveyed to D, and so on, although C and D be not seen by A, provided that at every one of the places there be these machines, and the persons who perform, know at what precise time the operation is to be, so that they may stand in fixed attention. In this manner, the same notice may fly in a few hours from the one extremity to the other of a kingdom.

This operation may be performed just now at the distance of 25 miles from one machine to another ; and when the machine shall be furnished with certain springs, Avhich are yet wanting, it may be done at the distance of 50 miles. It may